Reciprocating systems, such as reciprocating pump systems and similar equipment, operate in many types of cyclic hydraulic applications. For example, reciprocating pump systems are used to circulate fluid in many different types of pumping applications. Pressure peaks accelerate the deterioration of the pump, the pump's fluid end expendable parts, and equipment upstream or downstream from the pump with each subsequent pulsation. Failure to control such pressure peaks inevitably affect the operating performance and operational life of the pump, pump fluid end expendable parts and all upstream or downstream components.
Pulsation control equipment is typically placed immediately upstream or downstream from a reciprocating pump, often with a relative size and configuration proportional to the volume of desired fluid displacement per stroke of the pump and the maximum allotted magnitude of the pressure peaks experienced by the pump system during each pulsation. Pulsation control equipment thus aids in reducing pump loads and minimizing pulsation amplitudes to the pump, the pump's fluid end expendable parts and to equipment upstream or downstream. As a result, pulsation control equipment increases the relative operating performance and life of the pump, the pump's fluid end expendable parts and any equipment upstream or downstream from the pump.
In some situations, it is necessary or desirable within a pulsation control device to improve acoustic pulsation energy reduction and/or assimilate a pressure drop that results in some dampening of the high frequency pulsation magnitudes.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for improved pump pulsation control equipment or similar devices used to increase performance and pump life.